Internationa

U.K. inks key trade deal with Japan

Britain on Friday announced its first major post-Brexit trade agreement — a deal with Japan — as its negotiations with the European Union become increasingly fractious.

The Department for International Trade said the accord, which largely replicates the current EU-Japan deal, will be worth £15.2 billion ($19.5 billion).

The government said U.K. businesses will benefit from tariff-free trade on 99% of exports to Japan and that it will give British businesses a gateway to the Asia-Pacific region.

U.K. Ministers trumpeted the new bilateral agreement with Japan as a clear sign to Brexit opponents that agreements can be struck elsewhere.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter that the deal showed “we have taken back control of our trade policy & will continue to thrive as a trading nation outside the EU.”

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